A Future in Faith

A Future in Faith

Archbishop's Appeal

The Archbishop’s Appeal is the annual fundraising campaign that provides supplemental financial assistance to institutions, programs and ministries affiliated with the Catholic Church throughout the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, has announced a number of leadership changes impacting the administration of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and its parishes. The announcement was released May 22 at the archdiocesan Clergy Day at St. Pius X Church.

The archbishop has appointed Auxiliary Bishop Michael Boulette as vicar general and moderator of the curia, with his transition to those roles currently taking place. This appointment is in line with standard practice at most dioceses across the country, with an auxiliary bishop also heading those two offices. Bishop Boulette, who was named an auxiliary bishop by Pope Francis in January 2017, was the longtime pastor at Notre Dame Church in Kerrville and was the founding director of St. Peter Upon the Water: A Center for Spiritual Direction and Formation in Ingram.

Father Martin Leopold, who has served as moderator of the curia for the past 13 years, will retain his appointments as pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church and St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Church, while, in addition, assuming the pastorate of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in San Antonio. He has been appointed as special consultant to the archbishop for canon law, will oversee the archdiocesan Office of Victim Assistance and Safe Environment (OVASE), and assist with the archdiocesan Finance Council, all in his role as assistant to the moderator of the curia. Father Leopold was appointed director of the Administration Department of the archdiocese in 2005 by then-Archbishop José Gomez, succeeding Msgr. Lawrence Stuebben. At that time, he was serving as pastor of Sacred Heart and St. James churches in Gonzales and St. Patrick Parish in Waelder.

Father Larry Christian, who has been serving as vicar general since 2013 and is a former rector of Assumption Seminary, will continue his service as pastor of St. Ann Church. In addition, he has been appointed as episcopal vicar, entrusted with ecumenical and interfaith relations, higher education, healthcare, and the archdiocesan Office for Development. At the time of his appointment as vicar general, Father Christian was serving as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church. Prior to his assignment at Assumption Seminary, where he also served as vice rector and seminary formator, Father Christian was pastor of St. Matthew’s Church in Jourdanton.

Rubén Hinojosa has been appointed the archbishop’s liaison to the Priest Pension Board in his role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the archdiocese and vice chancellor for administration.

Julie Seguin, who served as director of Hope for the Future for seven years, was recently named director of the Office of Development for the archdiocese. Her primary responsibility is working with The Steier Group, fundraising consultants to the archdiocese, concerning the “On the Way – Andale!” capital campaign, the first archdiocesan capital campaign in more than 60 years, which is seeking to raise $60 million. Jennifer Rodriguez, who previously served as development director at St. Pius X Church, was hired as development associate of the office.

Sarah Richter was also hired as database administrator in the Pastoral Center recently, and Elvira Sanchez Kisser as director of Archives and database management.

Also, Joan Martinez has been recently appointed as interim director of the archdiocesan Department of Pastoral Ministries following the resignation of Maribel Silva, who previously served as department director. Martinez has served a number of roles in the department, and initially began work in the archdiocese as the director of Youth Ministry. She most recently served as director of the Lay Ecclesial Academy and director of Strategic Pastoral Planning.

Aaron Castillo has been hired as the new director of the Secretariat of Life, Justice, and Peace Outreach and Young Adults. His first day of work in the Pastoral Center was April 30.

Assumption Seminary

Father Jaime E. Robledo, PSS, has been named rector of Assumption Seminary, effective July 2. He will become the first rector under a new partnership that the Archdiocese of San Antonio made with the Society of St. Sulpice last fall. The Sulpician Fathers have assisted at Assumption Seminary for the past 20 years. The Sulpician charism is educating and forming men to serve as diocesan priests.

Father Robledo is a priest of the Diocese of Buga, Colombia, and a member of the U.S. Province of Sulpicians. He began his Catholic education in Salesian high school, followed by philosophy and theology studies in theology at St. Peter Seminary in Cali, which was operated by the Sulpicians.

Following his ordination in 1990 he continued his studies in Rome, receiving a licentiate in dogmatic theology with an emphasis in theological anthropology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

He has served as pastor of several parishes in his home diocese, rector of his diocese’s high school, founding vice rector of Twelve Apostles Seminary in Buga, and rector of the Institute for the New Evangelization of Culture.

Father Robledo came to the United States in 2006 to serve on the faculty of Assumption Seminary, and he was here for five years, working as director of liturgy, spiritual director, and formation advisor. He also served as an instructor at Mexican American Catholic College and Oblate School of Theology.

He then moved to California and served on the faculty of St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park for six years as spiritual director, formation advisor, instructor of theology, and chair of the Moral and Spiritual Theology Department. During that time he also served as an instructor in the School of Ministries for the Diocese of San Jose and the Diocese of Oakland.

He has completed the core curriculum on bioethics and recently defended his dissertation, titled, “Elio Sgreccia and Bioethical Discourse in the Pluralistic Society,” to obtain a doctorate in Moral Theology from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore.

Father Jeff Pehl, a former pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Hondo, has served as vice rector, then rector, at Assumption Seminary since 2008. He will begin an assignment as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Selma beginning July 1.

During his tenure, 105 men from the seminary have been ordained to the priesthood, the old college dorm was renovated and renamed Msgr. Jose Lopez Hall, the chapel was renovated and renamed Our Lady’s Chapel, the seminary observed a year-long centennial celebration, membership on the Board of Directors was expanded, the Opiela Endowment for Priestly Formation was established, a nutrition and fitness program for the men was implemented, the annual Arzobispo Golf Open was initiated as a fundraiser for the seminary, a celebratory farewell was held to thank the Hermanas Josefinas on their 100th anniversary of service and ministry to St. John/Assumption seminaries, and a professional food service company was retained to operate St. Joseph Dining Hall.

Official clergy assignments, effective July 2, are:

Priests retiring:

Father Emmet Carolan, Father Mike De Gerolami, Father Stefan Wiera, Father Paul Raaz, Father Father Jose de la Rosa, Father Jim Barlow, and Father Jim Galvin.

The following assignments have been approved by Archbishop Gustavo:

Father Pat Seitz (from the Diocese of Brownsville) as pastor of Holy Family Church in San Antonio.

Father Ed Pavlicek as pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Canyon Lake.

Father Dennis Jarzombek as pastor of St. Ann Church in La Vernia, while remaining as pastor of St. Mary Church in Stockdale.

Father Octavio Muguerza as pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Schertz.

Father Thaddeus Tabak, SDS, as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Leming and St. Luke Church in Loire.

Father Jeff Pehl as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Selma.

Father Alex Pereida as pastor of St. John Neumann Church in San Antonio.

Father Stan Fiuk as pastor of St. James Church in Gonzales, Sacred Heart Church in Gonzales, and St. Patrick Church in Waelder.

Father Michael Peinemann as parochial vicar of St. James Church in Gonzales, Sacred Heart Church in Gonzales, and St. Patrick Church in Waelder.

Father Jim Kotara as pastor of St. Mary Church in Somerset and St. Peter the Fisherman Church in Von Ormy.

Father Antonio Hernandez as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Devine.

Father Tomy Thomas, HGN, as pastor of St. Thomas More Church in San Antonio.

Father Helio Lucatero as pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church in Kirby.

Father Kevin Fausz, CM, remaining as pastor of Holy Redeemer Church in San Antonio and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in San Antonio, while adding the pastorate of St. Michael Church in San Antonio with those two parishes and assignments.

Father Miguel Moreno as parochial vicar of Holy Redeemer Church in San Antonio, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in San Antonio, and St. Michael Church in San Antonio.

Father Eric Ritter as pastor of St. Luke Church in San Antonio.

Father Alejandro del Bosque as parochial vicar of St. Luke Church in San Antonio.

Father Roji Peter, HGN, as administrator of Resurrection of the Lord Church in San Antonio.

Father Binoj Joseph, HGN, as parochial vicar of Resurrection of the Lord Church in San Antonio.

Father Prasanna Mese as administrator of St. Andrew Church in Pleasanton.

Father Juan Carlos Tejada as administrator of St. Timothy Church in San Antonio.

Father Michael Ajewole, MSP, as administrator of St. Patrick Church in Sabinal and its missions of St. Joseph Church in Knippa and St. Mary Church in Vanderpool.

Father Thumma Prathap as administrator of St. Monica Church in Converse.

Father Jaime Paniagua as administrator of St. Joseph Church in Del Rio.

Father Eduardo Martinez (from the Archdiocese of Chicago) as administrator of St. Leonard’s Church in San Antonio.

Father Krikor Chahin as parochial vicar at the Shrine of St. Padre Pio in San Antonio while still teaching at the Mexican American Catholic College and the Canon Law Institute.

Father Martin Leopold, remaining as pastor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Church in San Antonio and Our Lady of Grace Church in San Antonio, while adding the pastorate of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in San Antonio with those two parishes and assignments.

Father Agustin Estrada as parochial vicar of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Church in San Antonio, Our Lady of Grace Church in San Antonio, and Our Lady of Sorrows Church in San Antonio, in residence at Our Lady of Grace.

Father Tom Moonnanappilli, MSFS, as parochial vicar of San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio.

Father Henryk Kociolek as parochial vicar of Notre Dame Church in Kerrville.

Father Dennis Venegas in full-time Hospital Ministry, in residence at Our Lady of Grace.

New priests to be ordained June 2:

Father Frank Garcia as parochial vicar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Selma.

Father Robert Rosales as parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in San Antonio, in residence at Casa de Padres.

Father George Wanjiru Ndungu as parochial vicar of St. Ann Church in La Vernia and St. Mary Church in Stockdale.

Father Johnson Le as parochial vicar of St. Rose of Lima Church in San Antonio.

Father Michael English as parochial vicar of Holy Trinity Church in San Antonio.

Father Sean Stilson, BBD, as parochial vicar of St. Philip of Jesus Church in San Antonio and St. Henry Church in San Antonio.

Special assignments and pending assignments:

Father Gilberto Vallejo will finish his JCL studies in Mexico for one academic year.

Father Gustavo Montanez has received permission from Archbishop Gustavo to join the United States Air Force as an active duty chaplain and is awaiting his orders from the Archdiocese for Military Services.

The Missionaries of St. Frances de Sales (MSFS) will send two priests -- an administrator and parochial vicar -- for St. John the Evangelist Church in Hondo, Holy Cross Church in D’Hanis, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Yancey.